Advertising Ink Blotters

Artistically similar in style and sensibility to match book covers, ink blotters depicted everything from grandpa's favorite hunting dawg to the kitchen sink--literally. Girlie blotters featured pinup art from the same stable of talent that match cover manufactures had drawn upon, with Moran and Elvgren being represented most often. The felt-lined, flip side of the card was designed to absorb the ink from an over-filled pen, or just to get the messy thing flowing correctly.

By the mid-50's widespread use of the modern ballpoint pen spelled the demise of the humble ink blotter.

More Blotters

ImageNETion's Pin-Up & Fantasy Art Site

Plagboy Pin-Up Artist Site